Free COVID 19 tests in Austria’s pharmacies fully booked

Spread the love

Read Time:1 Minute, 58 Second

Over 500 pharmacies in Austria are offering free rapid antigen tests as of today, 79 of them in Vienna. Registration is required. The website of the Chamber of Pharmacists was temporarily overloaded. A pharmacist in Vienna-Donaustadt reported, “Our appointments are booked up to three weeks.”

“It’s pretty much going around,” confirmed a spokesperson for the Chamber of Pharmacists. He said the chamber is registering “extreme demand.” The pilot project, which started at the same time as steps to relax the coronavirus measures, is being gradually expanded. So far, about one in three of Austria’s 1,400 pharmacies is participating. The list of pharmacies offering free testing is available at Apothekerkammer.at.

“Coronavirus testing is an important pillar of the strategy to combat the pandemic and can bring a bit of normality and freedom back to people in many areas of daily life,” Ulrike Mursch-Edlmayr, president of the Austrian Chamber of Pharmacists, said in a press release. The goal is to eliminate “white spots” on the test map, especially in rural areas, the chamber president said. By the end of February, the free tests should be available in pharmacies “on an area-by-area basis,” she said.

Here’s how the free pharmacy test works: register by phone for an appointment at the pharmacy of your choice. Bring your e-card with you to your test appointment. The smear test is performed by a pharmacist in compliance with protective and hygienic precautions. Antigen tests are used that have a CE mark and have been designated by the manufacturer.

In case of a negative result, you will receive a test confirmation, which, if not older than 48 hours, is considered a “clean test” for near-body service providers. If a positive test result is present, please self-quarantine and call 1450 and a report will be made to the health department by the pharmacy.

Negative CoV test required
After six weeks of lockdown, all retailers and body-related service providers such as hairdressers, beauticians and massage therapists will be allowed to reopen on Monday. A negative coronavirus test, no older than 48 hours, is required to visit hairdressers and the like. Only the results of official PCR and antigen tests are valid, self-tests including school tests are not valid. Access tests are not required for health services.